Spurs see off Pelicans, honour Duncan

On the night San Antonio retired Tim Duncan's jersey, LaMarcus Aldridge delivered a performance befitting the NBA great in a 113-100 win over New Orleans.

Aldridge had 22 points and seven rebounds as the Spurs won their fourth straight game, Aussie playmaker Patty Mills chipping in 11 points and a team-high seven assists off the bench.

The Spurs retired Duncan's jersey after the game following his retirement in the offseason - Duncan having won five championships and two MVPs in 19 seasons, all with San Antonio.

Elsewhere, Joel Embiid nailed a pair of free throws with 12.5 seconds left on the clock as part of a career-high 33 points to lead Philadelphia to a 108-107 win over Brooklyn in a match-up of two of the league's worst teams.

Embiid added 10 rebounds and also dived over the first row in an effort to save a loose ball, a hustle play that thrilled Philadelphia's gritty fans.

A leading Rookie of the Year candidate, Embiid said plays like that are modeled after Hall of Famer Allen Iverson, who the 76ers honoured during Friday night's game against the Lakers.

"A.I. kind of helped me with that," Embiid said. "It was like, 'Play like it's your last game.' That's what I think I've been doing. I'm sorry for that person. I think I stepped on his shoulder. I'm sorry, but I'm going to give my all every time I'm on the court."

Isaiah Thomas scored 23 points before getting ejected as Boston built a huge early lead on the way to beating Miami 105-95, Thomas thrown out with 3:02 left for elbowing Justise Winslow in the face.

Aussie pair Dante Exum and Joe Ingles failed to register a single point between them, but it hardly mattered as Utah - behind 21 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks from Rudy Gobert - beat Memphis 82-73.

The win - Utah's fourth straight and seventh in the last eight - came after the Jazz broke open a close game with about four minutes remaining.

The Mavs forward was one of six Dallas players with double-figure points, while DeMarcus Cousins was a lone hand for the Kings with 33 points, Ty Lawson's 10 points the only other double-figure effort for the visitors.